


Three Small Words

by Destiyell



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Established Relationship, HS!AU, M/M, teen!destiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 10:23:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5287055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiyell/pseuds/Destiyell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel have been together for a while, and are both very happy with their relationship. Something seems to be missing, though-just three little words that usually mean a lot. Dean wants to find a way to tell Castiel how he feels, and with Charlie's help, decides to write him a love letter. Things don't go quite like he expected, but maybe that's for the best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Small Words

Dean enjoys school. He likes to learn, and play baseball with the rest of his team, and he especially likes getting to see his friends every day. Which is why, as much as he loves History class, his favorite part of the day is definitely lunch. One afternoon, just as he always does, he takes a seat next to Charlie at their usual table. Charlie doesn’t even have to look up from her laptop to know someone is missing.

“Where’s Cas?”

Dean shrugs, pulling his sandwich out of his lunch bag. “Said he had a project to work on. He’s in the library.”

Charlie does look up this time, and makes a face. “Does he even know the cafeteria still _exists_?  He basically lives in the computer lab and library now.”

Dean laughs, shaking his head. “You know him. He’s always got something to do. Cas is a busy guy.”

Charlie smirks and looks back down at her laptop screen. “Well, he should still come to lunch. I’m starting to miss him.”

“Yeah, me too.” Dean says, sighing. “But, since he’s not here…I have a question for you.”

Charlie glances up, raising an eyebrow. She sees Dean practically chewing on his lip, so she sits up more and gives him all of her attention. “Alright, it must be important if you’re so worried about it. What’s up?”

Dean sighs again, and for a moment it seems like he’s just going to say _forget it_ , and move on. But he decides not to.

“What’s the best way to tell someone you love them?”

Charlie looks confused for a second, and then she’s smirking again. “Why?”

Dean shifts in his seat a little, obviously still nervous. “Well, y’know, Cas and I have been dating for a while.”

“A year and a half.” Charlie cuts in. Dean glares at her.

“Right. And we’ve known each other for a really long time-” 

“Since you were six.”

“Uh huh. And, well, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him.” Dean says, letting out a breath. Charlie grins.

“Well, Captain Obvious, I think you need to figure out how to tell him yourself.”

Dean groans, shaking his head. “I’ve been trying. Everything I think of ends up being a terrible idea.”

Charlie sighs, and stops to think for a moment. She wants to help Dean out, she really does. But she also wants him to do something on his own for Castiel. And then she gets a great idea.

“Write him a letter.”

“ _Huh_?”

“A letter.” Charlie repeats, rolling her eyes. “You know, like a love letter. Pour your heart out onto paper.” She adds dramatically.

Dean makes a face. “Don’t you think that’s a little old fashioned? This isn’t like, the sixteenth century, or whatever.”

Now it’s Charlie’s turn to glare at him. “Yeah, but Cas will like it, and that’s the point. You know he likes old stuff.”

Dean thinks a moment before nodding. “Yeah, he does.”

“I swear, you talk to the guy and he acts like he’s millennia old.” Charlie mumbles, shaking her head.

“Trust me, I know.” Dean says, smiling fondly. He’s proud to say he knows Castiel better than anyone else.

Charlie nods, already turning her attention back to her laptop. “Exactly. So, write him a letter professing your love. He’ll really like it.”

Dean decides that’s what he’s going to do. The only issue is that he has no idea _how_ to write a love letter, or what he should say in it. He’s sure Castiel would tell him he loves it no matter what he writes, but he still wants it to be perfect. He spends the rest of their lunch period jotting down notes about it, while Charlie types away furiously on her laptop. And when Castiel finally shows up with only two minutes left of lunch, neither of them says anything about the plan.

***

“Do you think Dean is acting…strange?”

“What?” Charlie glances up from her trigonometry notes to find Castiel staring back at her, a confused expression on his face. She has to admit she agrees with Dean that it’s kind of adorable when he does that.

“Dean. Do you think he’s been acting differently? I’ve noticed a change in his attitude the past few days, and I’m just curious if I’m the only one.” Castiel explains, still looking puzzled. Charlie can’t help laughing a little.

“I think he’s acting just as annoying as usual, Cas.”

Castiel sighs, and gives Charlie an almost threatening look. “He’s not annoying. And anyway, my point is that he seems more…focused. But not on me, or you, or baseball. It’s on something else, and I don’t know what.”

“What do you mean?”

Castiel shrugs, looking down at his worksheet. He’d finished already, so he’s not worried about talking to Charlie and wasting class time. “He’s been spending a lot of time just _thinking_ , or writing. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’d just like to know what he’s working so hard on.”

Charlie smirks, but doesn’t let Castiel notice. “You’ve been doing the same thing, Cas. Skipping lunch practically every day, using up all of study hall to work on a project. Maybe he’s just busy with school work, too.”

Castiel nods slowly, tapping his pencil against his desk. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now, help me with this worksheet, genius.”

***

Dean runs off the baseball field after practice, and finds Castiel waiting for him on the bleachers. He has the end of a pen between his teeth, and his eyebrows are furrowed as he concentrates on the papers in front of him.

“Hey, Cas.” Dean greets, making Castiel nearly jump as he shoves his papers into his folder.

“Hello, Dean.” He says, totally calm. “How was practice?”

Dean raises an eyebrow.  “You just watched my practice.”

Castiel looks up, as if just noticing where he is for the first time. “Oh. I must have started homework and lost track of time. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Dean chuckles, holding a hand out to help Castiel up from the bleachers. Castiel takes it gratefully, and grabs his bag as he stands up. Dean doesn’t let go of his hand as they walk toward the school. “Do you wanna go out tonight?”

Castiel looks over at Dean, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Where would we be going?”

Dean shrugs. “Wherever you want. I just wanna do something. I feel like we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Yes, it does feel like it’s been too long.” Castiel agrees, momentarily letting go of Dean’s hand so he can hold the door to the school open for him. “Which is strange, because we see each other every day.”

Dean nods, glancing at Castiel. “Doesn’t help that you always run off during lunch, y’know.”

Castiel sighs. “I have a very important project to work on. I told you that.”

“I know, I know. You never told me what class it’s for, though.”

“History.”

Dean makes a face. “What’s it on?”

Castiel doesn’t even have to think. “The Eugenics Movement. I’m focusing on how unfair Carrie Buck’s trial was, and how the movement should have been deemed unconstitutional right away.”

“Oh.” Dean says, as if he knows exactly what Castiel is talking about. They’re in different History classes, and never seem to be learning the same things.

Castiel has a knowing look on his face, but he doesn’t comment. “Well. I say we go out to eat.”

“The Diner?”

“Yes. Six?”

Dean smiles and nods as if Castiel has just asked him if he’d like a million dollars. He seems so happy that Castiel can’t help beaming right back at him. Then he leans up and kisses Dean’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“Later, Cas.”

   ***

“I’m telling you, Benny. This shit is hard.” Dean complains, trying to swallow down the rest of his granola bar while simultaneously holding his phone between his shoulder and ear. It’s a difficult feat.  Benny’s low laugh comes through the phone, and Dean glares at his kitchen counter. “I’m serious.”

“Sure, Chief.” Benny says, still with a hint of laughter in his voice. Dean’s starting to regret asking him for advice.  “I just don’t see why you have to write him a letter. You’re not freakin’ Shakespeare, dude. No offence.”

Dean sighs, finally managing to finish his granola bar. He swallows and then grabs his phone with his hand. “I know that. But Charlie said it would be a good idea, and Cas likes this kind of stuff.”

He hears some shuffling on the other end of the line before Benny replies, “Well, you better think of somethin’ good to write.”

Dean looks down at his blank paper and shakes his head. He’s ditched nearly every idea he’s had thus far. “I know. Thanks for being so helpful with that, by the way. I’m _so glad_ I have a friend like you to rely on.”

“Hey, he’s not _my_ boyfriend. You gotta do this for yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dean rolls his eyes, and happens to catch sight of his clock above the stove. “ _Shit_. Man, I have to go. I’m gonna be late for my date with Cas.”

Benny laughs again, but it’s less accusing this time. “Alright, Chief. Have fun.”

Dean hangs up, and grabs his coat and keys in record time. He’s going to pick Castiel up, because even though they _both_ have cars, Dean still likes to think he’s a gentleman. Plus, he’s convinced he’d be a terrible boyfriend if he let Castiel drive his _Honda_ any more than necessary.

The drive over to Castiel’s house isn’t long, but Dean still has time to think. And he can’t stop thinking about the stupid letter he’s working on. Or, not working on, really.

He almost regrets taking Charlie’s advice, but he can’t back out now. He knows Castiel is going to appreciate the effort, and maybe have that really pleased smile that Dean loves so much while he reads it. Dean sort of wishes he just did the _normal_ thing, though, and just said ‘I love you’ one day. Like, on one of their dates. Why would that be hard? Dean’s not sure, but the thought of having to say it out loud for the first time without knowing how Castiel feels just makes him nervous. And a text would just be wrong in so many ways. So yeah, the letter is a good way to go.

But he also knows Benny is right-he needs to think of something good to write, or it won’t really matter at all. He can’t just hand Castiel a piece of paper with just the words ‘I love you’ scrawled out in big letters. No, that would be pointless. The letter has to be meaningful, and make Castiel happy, and show how much he _really_ loves him.

Dean makes a face and quickly stops that train of thought. He’s not into the gooey romance stuff; he’d rather leave that level of chick-flick-ness to Sammy.

Just as he’s about to turn on the radio and try to drown out his thoughts, he realizes he’s driving past Castiel’s house. He curses under his breath, and backs the impala up until he’s in front of the house again. Sometimes, Castiel is still inside and Dean goes up and rings the doorbell and waits for him, because he’s a _gentleman_ , thank you. But today, of course, Castiel is already standing outside. He’s got a confused look on his face as he walks up to the impala and climbs inside.

“Are you alright?” Is the first thing he says, and Dean just kind of stares at him. “Dean?”

Dean blinks, realizing this is where he’s supposed to talk. “What? Yeah, I’m great. Why?”

Castiel squints, giving him a highly disbelieving look. “You drove past my house.”

“So?”

“So, you never do that. What were you doing that made you miss it?” Castiel asks, finally pulling his seatbelt on. He doesn’t tear his gaze away from Dean, though.

Dean, who rolls his eyes in response. “Playing with the radio. Couldn’t find a good station.”

It would probably be believable. Except Castiel glances at the radio and then back toward Dean in one quick motion. “The radio is off.”

Right. Dean swallows, and turns to start the car. He can feel Castiel’s eyes on him as he pulls away from the curb. “Nothing good was on, like I said. So I turned it off.”

Castiel seems to consider this answer, and after a long moment of silence he nods. “Okay.”

They drive to the diner mostly in silence, aside from the occasional comment about random things. Castiel likes to point out stuff that they pass while driving, and even though Dean’s seen everything in town a million times, he doesn’t mind.

“Do you think anyone has found that missing cat?” Castiel asks as they step out of the car. Dean stretches and looks up at the sign of the diner before shrugging.

“If someone did, maybe the owner would’ve stopped putting signs on every street post in town.”

Castiel hums. “Of course.” He says, readjusting the coat that’s hung over his arm. Dean glances down and immediately makes a face.

“ _Seriously_ , Cas?”

“What?” Castiel asks, completely innocent.

Dean sighs. “You had to bring that ugly ass coat?”

Castiel looks down at his trench coat, and then back up at Dean. “I like this coat.”

“But it’s a terrible coat.”

“I like it.”

“It’s ugly.”

Castiel sighs, as if he’s dealing with an annoying five year old. “It’s a coat. It’s meant to be practical.”

“Practical?” Dean asks, shaking his head. “It’s really thin.”

“Yes, but it’s never the only thing I’m wearing.” Castiel huffs. “I do have clothes on underneath, Dean.”

“Yeah, and that’s a real shame.” Dean sighs wistfully. Castiel’s lips quirk into a smile.

“It is rather unfortunate.”

“Plus, I think you really just like the way it swishes in the wind whenever you turn around.”

Castiel laughs, so Dean laughs, and holds the door open for him. They both step into the diner, grateful for the warmth inside. They immediately go to their regular table-which is always open because no one else likes it. Dean likes it because it’s surrounded by windows on two sides. He can watch the town outside, and sometimes admire the way the moonlight radiates off of Castiel. Like tonight.  
Dean takes a seat on one end of the booth, with one set of windows behind him. Castiel sits across from him and pulls the menu up to his face, even though neither of them needs to read it. Dean studies the way Castiel’s unfairly bright eyes follow every word he reads, how his hair is stuck up like he just got electrocuted or possibly slept for six days straight, and the way his cheekbones are more prominent in the light. He can’t help thinking _damn_ , because his boyfriend is _hot_.

Castiel looks up eventually, a hint of amusement in his expression. “You’re staring.”

Dean doesn’t even try to deny it, or act embarrassed. He’s been caught, and there’s no going back. “Can’t help it.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “Ever the romantic.”

Dean laughs, and Jo shows up at the table before he can say anything back.

“Hey, guys. What’ll it be?” She asks, holding her little note-pad out in front of her.

Dean pretends to think really hard until Jo is glaring at him. “Alright. Just a cheeseburger and a coke.”

Jo nods, before looking at Castiel expectantly.

“A burger, with extra fries on the side, please.” Castiel says, because he already knows Dean is going to steal some. “And a coke.”

Jo jots down their order and then looks back up at them. “So, how’re things going for you two, anyway?”

Castiel answers before Dean has a chance to say something along the lines of ‘same as always, Jo, stay outta my business.’

“Great. Dean is a very good boyfriend.”

Dean blushes, and Jo snorts. “I’m sure he is.”

Castiel either doesn’t sense her sarcasm, or chooses to ignore it. “He really is.” He smiles, looking over at Dean. Dean’s still blushing to the tips of his ears.

“Cas is, too.” He mutters, and prays to every God he doesn’t believe in that Jo will leave soon.

“Good.” Jo smirks. Apparently, someone upstairs is listening, because Ellen calls Jo over to the other side of the diner. She sighs, waves goodbye, and runs off to see what her mom wants.

Dean turns back to Castiel, and he’s positive he’s still blushing. “Is it just me or is she always way too interested in our relationship?”

Castiel shrugs, looking amused again. “I think it’s cute.”

And so they go from there; they talk and laugh, and Dean points out how weird Castiel is even though he finds it endearing. And then Dean's phone buzzes. He ignores it. It buzzes again, and he sighs. He hates people who use their phones while on dates; it’s just plain rude. He is _not_ going to be one of those people. But after it buzzes for the ninth time, he starts to worry.

"Answer it." Castiel says, knowing just as well as he does that it might be important. Dean gives him an apologetic smile before pulling his phone out and glaring at the screen.

"Oh." He says, frowning. "It's Charlie. She knows I'm on a date with you so why would she-"

He pauses as he reads the texts, and has to refrain himself from rolling his eyes.

"What is it?" Castiel asks, sounding somewhere between confused and worried.

Dean doesn't answer, which is all kinds of rude, but he's kind of focused on reading.

_Did you think of ideas for the letter?_

_Did you finish the letter?_

_Oh, wait. You’re on a date with Cas now._

_Did you finish the letter for tonight?_

_Are you giving it to him tonight?_

_Are you giving it to him right NOW?_

_Omg what did he say?_

_Did he say anything?_

_Tell me what he says_

Dean really does roll his eyes this time, and Castiel leans over the table, obviously interested in what's going on.

"Dean, is everything alright?" He sounds so genuinely concerned that it makes Dean look up at him, almost causing their noses to hit each other.

"Yeah. She's just being annoying." Dean answers, quickly typing out a response:

_NO I didn't finish and no I didn't give it to him now leave me alone, Bradbury, I'm on a date_.

Jo comes over with their food just as he's finishing up. "Tsk, tsk, using your phone on a date? Not such a good boyfriend after all, huh, Dean?"

He shoves his phone into his pocket a bit forcefully and smiles up at her. "Shut up."

Castiel takes his burger and thanks Jo quietly, before staring at Dean in that intense way he has. Dean elects to ignore it, and goes back to their conversation about their English project on _Hamlet._

 ***

Later, Dean and Castiel are in the middle of making out in the Impala, when Dean's phone buzzes in his pocket again. "Sonofabitch" He mutters, choosing to ignore it. It goes off again, but he just keeps kissing Castiel with as much force as he can manage. He doesn’t even seem to mind that they’re parked right in front of Castiel’s house.

Castiel pulls back after the sixth buzz, panting slightly as he looks Dean in the eyes. Dean glances at his swollen lips and really just wants to kiss him again.

"You should probably get that."

Dean curses, but he knows Castiel won't let him say no. His phone makes another noise as if to agree. He sighs, pulling the damned thing out. "Charlie." He offers as explanation. Castiel leans back against his seat, confusion clear on his face.

"She is aware that we're on a date. What's so important?"

Dean shrugs, and politely texts Charlie to fuck off in the nicest way possible. Then he tosses his phone into the back of the impala. "Nothin'"

Castiel frowns. "You realize I know when you're lying, right?"

"Mm, yeah."

For some reason, this just makes Castiel laugh. "Well, I hope whatever you two are doing, you figure it out." He murmurs, kissing Dean one last time before getting out of the car. Dean just watches him, at a loss for what else to do.  Castiel’s coat sways a bit in the wind as he closes the door, and then he's disappearing into the house. Dean sighs, and starts the car.

 ***

“You didn’t give it to him?” Charlie punches Dean on the arm, which hurts a lot more than he’s willing to admit. Benny shakes his head from where he’s leaning against a row of lockers.

“Charlie, he didn’t even finish the damn thing.” He says, his southern drawl somehow making the statement seem a lot more dramatic. Dean sighs, hitting his head against the inside of his own locker.

“Look, I’m gonna do it, okay? I just need it to be perfect.”

Charlie and Benny give each other a knowing look, which Dean elects to ignore. He’s got enough to deal with.

“How was your date, anyway?” Charlie suddenly asks, and Dean’s a bit grateful for the change of subject.

“Would’ve been a lot better if you weren’t texting me every ten seconds.”

Charlie rolls her eyes, but she does look a little apologetic.

"Sorry about that. I was just excited....for no reason, apparently." She sighs, earning a glare from Dean.

"Well, I'm gonna finish soon." He promises, sticking his head back into his locker as he searches for his copy of _Hamlet_.

"Hello," Castiel says, appearing out of nowhere.

Dean jumps, hitting his head off of the top shelf in his locker. Both Charlie and Benny laugh into their hands. Dean turns, finding Castiel’s worried expression trained on him. "Um." He says eloquently, and then, "Hey, Cas."

Castiel continues staring. “Are you alright?" He asks, sounding somewhat suspicious. Dean nods immediately.  "Okay...” Castiel murmurs, peering over Dean's shoulder and into his locker as if it holds the secrets of the universe, or something.

 "What’re you lookin’ at?" Castiel blinks at the sound of Dean’s voice and turns his head to look at him again.

 "Nothing. Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

Castiel tilts his head. "English class."

 Realization dawns on Dean that he's in school, and he has class. Benny snorts, and Charlie rolls her eyes. "Have fun, you guys." She says, reaching out to ruffle Castiel’s hair. He gives her a confused glance, but doesn't ask about it.

 "Dean?"

Dean nods, slamming his locker shut and grimacing at the noise. “Let’s go, Angel." He mumbles, taking Castiel's hand into his own as they walk down the hall. The rest of the day goes by just as wonderfully as the morning had. Dean is unfocused, Castiel notices, but he doesn't press for a reason why. During study hall, they go their separate ways-Castiel to the library to work on his project, and Dean to a quiet classroom. As much as he wants to spend time with Castiel, he also needs to finish the letter. He's afraid he's never going to get around to saying what he needs to, and Castiel will leave him before he gets the chance to show how he feels.

Castiel seemed wary for most of the day, as expected. Dean realizes he’s been kind of a dick lately, but it’s for the right reasons. The whole ‘I love you’ thing is starting to stress him out. Still, he elects to sit in the back of class during study hall, working hard on his letter. Everyone around him is absorbed in their own work, which he’s grateful for.

He spends about fifteen minutes just staring at a blank page in his notebook. He chews on the end of his pen, apparently not worried about the ink possibly exploding all over him. He sighs, leaning back against his chair as he thinks. How is he supposed to put all of his feelings for Castiel into one page? He could talk about Castiel for hours and never run out of things to say. Hell, Sam has complained about it happening more times than Dean can remember.

And then, finally, Dean just starts writing. He pulls his pen from his mouth and places it against the paper, not really thinking as he makes the words flow out. He’s never thought of himself as much of a writer, but he likes to think he’s doing a good job with this. He’s almost proud, and it’s a good feeling.

 ***

“Cas!”

Castiel turns, immediately seeing his boyfriend running toward him. He has his backpack in one hand, and the other holds a coffee cup. Castiel momentarily wonders where Dean got coffee during school, but he doesn’t have time to think about it much. Dean catches up to him quickly, thanks to his athletic abilities.

When Dean stops in front of Castiel, he’s nearly panting. He holds out the coffee cup, and Castiel raises an eyebrow before taking it. “Thank you…”

“Look, Cas, I know coffee ain’t enough. But I wanted to apologize.”

Castiel ignores the urge to correct Dean’s grammar. “Apologize for what?”

Dean sighs, slinging his backpack up over his shoulder. “For being so _weird_ lately.”

“Dean, you don’t have to-”

“No, Cas. I’ve been a jerk and it’s stupid. Let’s go out tonight.”

Castiel smiles a bit at the suggestion. Going on dates with Dean will never cease to make him excited, he’s sure. “Where?”

Dean practically grins. “That’s a surprise.”

Castiel quirks an eyebrow, already curious. He’s never been a big fan of surprises-he has Gabriel to blame for that-but the promise of a surprise from Dean makes him immediately interested.

“Okay. What time should I be ready?”

There’s Dean’s bright smile again. “Six. I’ll see you later, Angel.” He says, leaning down to kiss Castiel quickly before rushing off to practice. Castiel remains in the middle of the hallway, watching Dean disappear. He sighs quietly, taking a sip of his coffee. He can’t help smiling when he realizes it’s his favorite order.

 ***

Dean taps his fingers against the steering wheel, barely listening to the music coming through the speakers in the Impala. He stares at Castiel’s house, trying to will himself to just get out and go to the door. It’s ridiculous, he knows, but he’s got the same nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach he had the first time he took Castiel out. It’s odd that now, a year and a half later, he gets the same feeling. But he can understand why. It’s a big night, after all.

Dean finally steps out of the car, not bothering to grab his keys. He knows the impala will be safe for a few minutes. The walk up to Castiel’s front door feels endless, and Dean keeps his eyes trained on the sidewalk beneath him for a while. He slowly makes his way up the steps to the porch, and tugs on his shirt to make sure it looks okay.

He knocks on the door once, and waits patiently for it to swing open. When it finally does, he glances up and frowns.

“Hey, Dean-o.” Gabriel greets, grinning at him. “Ooh, you clean up nice for my baby brother. You got something special planned?”

Dean makes a disgusted face as Gabriel winks at him, and shakes his head. “Where’s Cas?”

Gabriel shrugs in reply, blowing a ridiculously huge bubble with his gum. Dean takes a small step back just in case it pops and goes everywhere. Thankfully, Gabriel manages to get all of the bubble gum back into his mouth before disaster strikes. “Probably trying to make himself really hot for you. I dunno-”

Gabriel is suddenly pushed to the side, and Dean catches sight of Castiel. And…wow. He has to take a moment just to look his boyfriend over, because _damn_.

Castiel’s light blue shirt makes his eyes even brighter, which Dean hadn’t previously thought possible. His hair is actually styled, not just sticking up all over the place. To top it off, his jeans look great on him, Dean notices, in all the right places. He looks back up to Castiel’s face and finds him blushing lightly. 

“Hello, Dean.” Castiel says, his voice somehow rougher. “I’m sorry about my brother. Gabe thinks he is hilarious. It’s just a pity he’s the only one who believes so.”

From behind him, Gabriel lets out a scandalized gasp. “I _am_ fucking hilarious; I’ll have you kno-”

Castiel cuts him off by slamming the door. “Should we go?”

Dean blinks, taking a moment to register that Castiel is talking to him. “Oh. Yeah.”

Castiel smiles and takes Dean’s hand as they walk toward the car. Dean holds the passenger door open for him, and then climbs into his own seat.

“Can I know where we’re going now?”

Dean laughs, shaking his head. Castiel pouts, but Dean uses all of his self-control to stay quiet. “Sorry, baby.”

Castiel sighs softly, and turns to look out the window as they drive. Dean’s not sure what Castiel constantly finds so interesting about the world outside, but he lets him watch.

They finally stop in front of the restaurant, and Castiel turns to give Dean a confused look. Dean thinks he looks adorable, but he doesn’t say it out loud.

“What are we doing?”

Dean shoots Castiel an equally confused glance as he grabs his keys from the ignition. “Eating?”

“Here?”

Dean feels a burst of pride, because he’s successfully impressed Castiel. He grabs his hand and pulls his mildly shocked boyfriend toward the entrance. The place is a lot fancier than Dean is used to, and it took a lot to pay for, but he thinks it’s worth it. The inside of the restaurant has little fairy lights dangling from the walls and ceiling, and soft music is playing from somewhere in the back. Castiel looks awed, and Dean can’t help his smug smile as he leads them over to the front.

“Reservation for Winchester.” He tells the man waiting for them, the words feeling odd in his mouth. The waiter glances up, seeming a bit surprised when he sees the teens standing in front of him. After a pause, he nods.

“Right this way, Mr. Winchester.”

Dean restrains himself from snorting, and pulls Castiel by the hand again to follow the waiter. (He also makes sure to turn his phone off right away). Castiel continues to look around, completely interested in everything around them. Yeah, Dean’s feeling pretty proud of himself.

They eventually get to their table-a nice booth in the back-and Dean thanks the waiter as they sit down across from each other. They’re each handed a menu before the waiter excuses himself, but Dean can’t take his eyes off of Castiel.

Castiel isn’t looking at his menu, either. He’s sort of switching between staring at Dean and studying the restaurant. Dean rests his chin on his hands, watching him carefully. He looks beautiful in the glow of the candlelight.

“What’re you thinking about?” Dean asks, breaking the silence settled between them. Castiel’s eyes find their way back to Dean, still looking somewhat awed.

“This is amazing.”

Dean grins, and Castiel mimics his movements, placing his chin on top of his own hands.

“You’re amazing, Dean.”

Dean rolls his eyes halfheartedly at the mushiness, but smiles again anyway. “So are you.”

Their waiter returns a few minutes later, and they both just order something to drink. They haven’t even bothered to look at their menus yet, so ordering their food is out of the question. Castiel seems incredibly happy, and Dean is happy because he’s enjoying himself. He thinks the night is going perfect.

And then he remembers.

The only reason he’d taken Castiel out on such a nice date was because of the letter. The letter currently sitting in his pocket, that he’d completely forgotten about. Now, it’s so noticeable that it might as well be burning him through his pants.

“So then I told Gabriel that he’s being ridiculous, of course. You know how he likes to be so annoying. He can’t possibly believe that you and I-”

Dean will never get tired of hearing Castiel talk, he’s sure of it. The guy could go on for hours about the weather, and never lose Dean’s interest. Yet, he’s finding it hard to concentrate now.

Thankfully, Castiel doesn’t seem to notice. He continues with his story, and Dean takes unbelievably slow sips of his water as he nods along. He feels like a jerk again, but he can’t really help it.

It’s not until much later, while Castiel is busy eating the last of his tomato basil pasta, that Dean finally breaks.

“Cas, I gotta tell you something.”

That’s not _exactly_ what he meant to say.

Castiel looks up at him, chewing his food slowly, with his fork still in the air. He swallows, and seems to give Dean all of his attention. “What is it?”

Dean wastes no time in fumbling around inside his pocket, digging the letter out. It’s crumpled from being stuck in there all day, but Dean doesn’t bother smoothing it out before thrusting it toward Castiel.

Castiel blinks, looking between the paper and Dean, and then finally places his fork down. He clears his throat as he swallows the last of his pasta, and then gently takes the letter. Dean sighs in relief, as if the thing had been killing him.

The paper looks boring, now that Dean thinks about it. He’d taken it out of his biology notebook, not thinking at the time. But that doesn’t matter-it’s what the letter symbolizes that’s important.

Castiel still seems fairly skeptical, but he turns his attention to the letter now in his hands. Dean waits anxiously for him to just _read_ it, and hopefully like it.

Castiel stares at the paper, and Dean’s pretty sure he’s finally started reading it. After a moment his eyebrows furrow in either concentration or confusion-Dean can’t tell. He just keeps _staring_ , and won’t say anything. He keeps that same focused, curious look on his face the whole time. Dean’s actually starting to worry; something must be wrong for him to react that way.

Just as Dean opens his mouth to say _“Sorry”_ and possibly take it all back, Castiel looks up.

“I can’t read your handwriting.”

Dean laughs, unable to stop himself. “Seriously?”

Castiel nods, frowning slightly. He actually looks sorry for not being able to read it. “Yes. I have no idea what this says.”

Dean feels stupid, because yeah, he probably should have realized his handwriting sucks. His hand had been practically shaking the whole time he wrote the letter-of course it’s not going to be neat enough to read.

He sighs, silently deciding to just forget that any of this happened. If he’s lucky, Castiel will pretend he never saw anything.

But when Dean glances back up, Castiel is holding the letter out toward him, waiting patiently. He has an expectant look on his face, though, which means he won’t let Dean forget it. Oh well.

“What?” Dean asks, glaring at the stupid paper.

“Read it to me.”

Dean’s gaze moves from the letter and back to Castiel. “Again. _What_?”

Castiel sighs, exasperated. “I want to know what it says, Dean.” He explains, waving the letter a bit. “So read it to me.”

Dean just continues staring for a moment before his brain catches up with him. He pulls the letter away from Castiel and looks down at it as if it’s personally disrespected him. Castiel, on the other hand, just folds his arms in front of him and waits patiently.

Dean takes a breath, knowing he has to say something. “Okay…here we go.” He mumbles, mostly to himself. Castiel smiles bemusedly.

“ _Dear Castiel…_ ” Dean starts, squinting at the page as he tries to decipher his own writing. He’s already blushing, which annoys him beyond belief.  He sighs, shaking his head and moving on.

“ _I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while now. I guess it’ll just be easier to start from the beginning. We’ve known each other since we were six, which is a really long time. Even at six years old I think I was able to tell how important you are._ ” Dean pauses, looking up for a second to see Castiel watching him intently. He immediately looks back down, clearing his throat.

“ _Do you remember that first day we met? It’s weird, but I kind of do. You were just some random kid at school, but you were nicer than anyone else around. I liked you right away. You were important to me then, as my best friend, and you’re extremely important now-as my boyfriend. I have no doubt you’ll always be an important part of my life._

_“Now, let’s get to the real point of this letter. Which, by the way, I hope you like. I know how much you enjoy old stuff. Anyway. I love that about you, Cas. I love that you’re into old things in a different way than me. I love classic rock and consider that old, but you like actual classical music sometimes. I also love that you just seem to know everything. It’s like you’ve been around for a million years or something. It’s cool.”_

Castiel chuckles at that for some reason, and Dean smiles as his blush turns darker. “Uh, where was I? Oh, right. _I really love how you always come to my games or practices, even though you don’t always pay attention. It’s okay with me, because I know you’re too busy working on more important stuff. That’s another thing I love-how hard you work. Like that project you’re working on now. You’re so smart, Cas. (Oh, and I really love that you let me call you Cas. I love knowing I was the first person to do that.) More importantly, I love how you don’t care what people think of you. That’s admirable. And even though I say I hate your dumb trench coat, I actually kind of love it. And your obsession with bees. And the way your eyes light up whenever you’re talking about something you love.”_

Castiel is still watching Dean when he looks up, as if just checking he’s still there. Dean knows he’s getting toward the end of the letter, so he hesitates before reading again. But he needs to just suck it up and make himself finish.

_Alright, I’m gonna stop before this gets too sappy. I’m sure you’ve noticed a kind of trend throughout this letter, huh? I love so much about you, Cas. I feel so lucky to have you. Which is my point, really. I love you. I love you a lot, and I’ve spent way too long being afraid to tell you. I’ll always love you, no matter what happens. Please don’t forget that._

_Love,_

_Dean.”_

Dean lets out a sigh, and forces himself to look at Castiel again. When he does, Castiel just kind of laughs, which makes Dean frown. Why the hell is he _laughing_?

“Uh, Cas?”

Castiel seems to realize what he’s doing and stops almost immediately. “Sorry, Dean. I didn’t mean to laugh. Not at your letter, anyway. It was beautifully written.”

Dean nods slowly, still confused.

“I really do apologize, Dean. It’s just funny, because…well, I’ll show you.”

Castiel reaches down into his pocket, pulling out a neatly folded piece of paper. Dean looks at it curiously for a moment before he understands. “No way.”

Castiel nods, handing the paper over. “Yes, I’m afraid we both had the same idea.”

Dean’s not sure whether to laugh as well, or be infinitely impressed that Castiel managed to stay so calm throughout their whole dinner. He slowly unfolds the paper, and notices the beautiful writing scrawled across it. Damn Castiel and his perfect handwriting.

“Well, go on.” Castiel speaks up, interrupting Dean’s thoughts. “I know you can read it without my help.”

Dean rolls his eyes, but does as he’s told and stays quiet as he reads.

_‘Dean,_

_I’m sure you will find this a bit ridiculous, but I feel that writing a letter to a loved one is always special. And yes, you did read that right. I love you very much, if you hadn’t noticed. I’ve felt this way for a long time, but I never thought it necessary to say out loud. I assumed my actions spoke for it, just the way yours do. Like when you explain jokes to me, for example. Or when you pretend to be interested in documentaries just for my sake. I realize when you do these things that it means you care about me quite a lot, which I’ll always be grateful for. I care about you deeply, Dean. I’ll always enjoy going to your games, or watching you practice. I enjoy our dates, even when they are just simply going to the movies. Charlie has informed me on many occasions that it’s obvious how I feel about you-she said so even before we were dating. She told me once that I look at you differently than everyone else. Perhaps because I love you. Even though I think it doesn’t need to be said so formally, it’s true. I loved you when we were kids, I love you now, and I will continue to love you until the end of time. Please do your best to always remember this, Dean._

_Love,_

_Castiel’_

Dean feels like crying, but he keeps his cool and only has to wipe his eyes once before looking up from the letter. Castiel smiles at him, as if he totally understands how he feels. He probably does, after all.

“Well, you know what they say.” Dean says suddenly, grinning right back at Castiel. Castiel just tilts his head, the question of _what_? clear in his expression.  

“Great minds think alike.” Dean finishes. Castiel rolls his eyes, though he’s laughing anyway.

“It is strange that we both had the same idea.”

Dean shrugs. “Charlie gave me the idea.”

Castiel raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t really seem too surprised. “Nevertheless, I really did love your letter, Dean. More importantly, I love you.”

Dean’s sure his breath catches in his throat, because it feels so _good_ to hear that out loud.

“I love you too, Cas.”

Castiel smiles, his eyes lighting up in that way Dean loves. “I know.”

They both laugh again, and lean over the table to kiss. Castiel grabs Dean’s letter when he’s not looking, placing it carefully in his pocket once they’ve separated. Dean thinks things didn’t turn out so bad, after all.

 

 

 ***

Years later, Dean gives Castiel another letter much like the one from that night- this one ending with _will you marry me?_

Castiel hands him a piece of paper back right away. It only has one word on it, but that’s enough for Dean.

 ***

Even later, standing in front of their family and friends, Dean and Castiel read their letters to each other again. They’ve said those three words to one another a thousand times, but this time it’s more important. This time, they end by saying _I do._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading my second little story. :) I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please leave a Kudos or a comment! (I love feedback almost as much as Dean loves Cas).


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